Chest infection in third week - Second Cycle of R-Chop

Ayesha,

Your father's immune system, as you are well aware, is weakened both by his illness and by the chemotherapeutic treatment he is currently receiving.

It seems he is getting treatment for the infections he is battling now, so I won't discuss that.

However, you may want to go over the doctor's recommendations regarding prevention of such future infections, as it is no fun to be sick on top of the side effects he is already experiencing.

In particular, it might be a good idea to limit the number of people that are around your father on a daily basis - especially during the fall and winter seasons. That would numerically reduce his exposure to various germs. You may also want to ban children under age 15 altogether, as they are major carriers of many germs, which might not make them sick, but can be too much for your father to fight in his present condition.

Another essential measure is frequent and thorough hand washing (particularly, but not limited to, after going to the toilet and before eating anything), both on the part of your father himself, and also for anyone who cares for him and handles his medications, food, etc.

The way his food is washed, cooked, stored and preserved can also avoid lots of tummy trouble.

These simple measures can make all the difference in the world between being miserable throughout chemotherapy, or simply (!) having to deal with treatment-related discomfort.

Your father's doctor or nurse should be able to confirm and complete the list of do's and don't's as appropriate.

I hope this answers your questions.

PBL